I am about ready to install a winch on my 2013 2-Door MOAB with the AEV Bumper which is set up for a winch to be mounted behind it with $285 in additional parts. I have pretty much decided on a Warn M8 (26502) (New Model M8000) with the New Contactor Control Box. Old School Winch that is pretty much my idea of what should be on a Classic Wrangler. With the Control Box mounted centered over the spool. " This is where my issue starts"
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Reading, the information on mounting the control box is all over the place. Most post are about mounting the older M8000 with the older Solenoid Box which uses different brackets. With problems mounting the Solenoid Control Box centered over the spool. It looks like at one time someone did make a great bracket to securely mount the Solenoid Control Box centered, but it is no longer made. It was also made for the older winch model.
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In the current M8 Winch pictures the Contactor Box is always pictured on the passenger end, and not centered over the spool. Doing a lot of searching it looked like the Warn WRN82215 Bracket might be what is needed to mount the Contactor Box over the spool, HOWEVER I never did find a picture of the Contactor Box mounted using this bracket. Some posts talk about the Control Box ending up pointed Up instead of forward but no idea if they were talking about new or old model winch installations and brackets.
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I realize the current trend is to remote mount the Control Box, mostly under the hood. I am old and like the look of the Control Box centered over the spool. Does anyone have any insight on what bracket to use with the new model M8 with the Contactor Control Box to center mount it?

Bob

 

Hey there Bob, I can't speak directly to the Warn series but all of my cheaper winches have been nothing but some flat stock with a couple bends and two screws on the ends to lock down the mount. I imagine you could do the same for very cheap.

 

I e-mailed a Warn repair shop as well as Warn asking about the bracket to center mount the Contactor pack. No answer back from either of them. Not real impressed.
The bracket that comes with the Warn Winch Control Upgrade Kit looks to be exactly what I was looking for, however I have not found a source for just the bracket. I find the Kits listed, buy Warn lists it as out of production.
After doing pages and pages of reading I finally found what I was looking for.
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Searchers4wd.com
Searchers4wd.com sell a bracket to center mount a Warn M8/8000 Contactor Pack over the Spool. It bolts to the winch on both sides replacing the Rods. It also comes in two versions. The Standard (Centered) and the Off Set version which will allow the Control Pack to be mounted further back or forward depending on your requirement by reversing it. The Off Set is the correct one to use with my AEV Bumper. Cost with shipping is around $40.
I hope this saves someone else a lot of looking.

Bob R

 

Thanks for posting the follow up Bob, I trust there will be someone else in the future looking for the correct part like you were and they'll appreciate that you were able to find it.